Ajendra Prasad: Seaford Clothing Company boss stole $50k from charity bins
A Frankston clothing bin boss wasn’t getting enough donations so set up a rort to dip into other’s charity bins and steal their items instead.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A shifty clothing company boss gave cash slings to another company’s worker so he could rip off $50,000 worth of donations from someone else’s charity bins, a court has heard.
Ajendra Prasad, who runs Seaford Clothing Company based in Frankston, paid off a competitor’s driver so he could steal donated clothing, shoes and bric-a-brac for his own profit.
The Frankston 57-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge of theft at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The court heard in 2018 Prasad had a clothing bin emblazoned with Life-Gate charity logos next to two others belonging to a competitor at the Tower Hill site in Frankston.
But he wasn’t happy with the amount of donations he was getting so set up an elaborate rort racket.
For more than a year he gave a bloke $300 a month to get access to a neighbouring bin and took clothes that had been donated in good faith to a different company.
It is unknown exactly how many items he stole and the total value, but the other business reckons they lost $49,400 over the 13-month period.
Seaford Clothing Company operates about 280 sites across Melbourne, giving cash to Life-Gate so it can emblazon its logos and stickers to attract donations.
The clothes do not directly go to the charity, instead Prasad contributes a set amount of money — between $4500 and $6500 — a month to Life-Gate as a goodwill payment for allowing them to have their branding on his bins.
Donators may think they are giving their unwanted clothes directly to the charity, but even though that is not the case, the scheme is legal.
Prasad has run his New St company for more than 20 years, and makes around $1.5 million a year.
He also has a previous dishonesty prior, having made up the names on non-existent people to get his drivers off a raft of traffic tickets.
His defence lawyer said he donated large amounts of money to Life-Gate and also to welfare projects in his native Fiji.
She said he was extremely remorseful and had suffered a loss of standing in his community through the “shame” connected to his offending.
She said a good behaviour bond was an appropriate penalty, and he would happily reimburse any amount the court deemed necessary.
Magistrate Fiona Stewart blasted the bond submission, saying it was nowhere near appropriate for the repetitive nature of the crime.
“All sentencing options are open,” Ms Stewart said.
“In my view it is serious.”
Prasad will be sentenced on March 22.
To keep up-to-date with the latest news in your community, bookmark this link.
You can access breaking news stories by signing up to Leader newsletters here.
